Back to the start: The Atomics live in Utah

We went to one of the Smith siblings' first concerts, held at a small performing arts venue in their hometown. In April, the family band will take Coachella.

16 February 2017.

PHOTO: Chadwick Tyler

STYLING: Gro Curtis

“We didn’t have any experience the last time we played here. It’s the same venue we played as kids, and the faces, buildings and places are the same, the only thing that’s different in here is us,” says guitarist Daisy Clementine Smith.

We’re in a performing arts venue in Spanish Fork, a rural town with a population of 36,000, located about an hour south of Salt Lake City. In many ways, Spanish Fork is a typical small town, or at least the typical conception of a small town, with its pickup trucks, box-shaped houses and countless fast-food restaurants.

What makes this town unique is that that it’s surrounded by massive mountains, and that it’s the home of one of the world’s most in-demand male models, Lucky Blue Smith, and his three older sisters Pyper America, Daisy Clementine and Starlie. They all model, but more importantly they’re all in a band that is set for a big breakthrough. They’ve returned to their roots to test-drive their new sound on a familiar audience.

Starlie is the vocalist and main songwriter, Daisy plays the guitar, Pyper is on the bass and Lucky is on the drums. While they’re alone backstage getting ready to take stage, there’s a pre-concert band playing covers of Coldplay, Oasis and The Verve. The warm-up band exits the stage with a preaching instead of an encore: “Remember to drive carefully, tip your waitresses and love your parents.” We’re in Mormon country after all.

The room goes quiet as we wait for the main act to make their entrance. The venue has an air of old America, except for selfies and rainbow coloured hair. As The Atomics take the stage, the young crowd – and their parents – go wild. At this point the band has only released a couple of songs on SoundCloud, but the audience seem to know the catchy melodies well. Throw in rhythm guitars and a bunch of drum solos from Lucky Blue and you get a mosh pit in front of the stage.

“I can release any stress through the drums. I can go crazy. I’m putting all my energy into them,” he says after the show (which he closes with his shirt open to the joy of the girl fans in the audience).

WHAT FEELING DO YOU WANT TO CONVEY TO THE AUDIENCE?
STARLIE: “The stage is where I’m most comfortable, where I feel the most empowered. I want everyone to feel they’re important.”

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT MUSIC?
STARLIE: “I fell in love with singing just by listening to my favourite singers: Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera and Aretha Franklin. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember.”

PYPER: “I love performing. It’s what I like most about music. It’s a way for me to express myself.”

LUCKY: “I love inspiring people through music. I want people to hear our music and feel something.”

After the band’s concerts in Utah they’re kept busy rehearsing, recording and performing at venues around the West Coast of the United States. Last month it was made official that they’re performing at Coachella in April, and this week it was finally announced that they will front the H&M Loves Coachella campaign.

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